Wireless methods and devices employing plural-bit data derived from audio information

• US 7,715,446 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sam; Phirin
• Application Number:
  US11/670,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20070189533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/522
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 for a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0064 Geometric transfor invariant watermarking, e.g. affine transform invariant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0081 whereby both original and watermarked images are required at decoder, e.g. destination-based, non-blind, non-oblivious
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0034 using watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00891 embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/02 by adding a second signal to make the desired signal unintelligible
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 : using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 : Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00005 : relating to image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 : Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00079 : remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00846 : based on detection of a dedicated indication, e.g. marks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00875 : Inhibiting reproduction, e.g. by disabling reading or reproduction apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 : embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3216 : using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32203 : Spatial or amplitude domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32208 : involving changing the magnitude of selected pixels, e.g. overlay of information or super-imposition H04N1/32219, H04N1/32224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32251 : in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32288 : Multiple embedding, e.g. cocktail embedding, or redundant embedding, e.g. repeating the additional information at a plurality of locations in the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32352 : Controlling detectability or arrangements to facilitate detection or retrieval of the embedded information, e.g. using markers for decoding, detection or retrieval operations H04N1/32149 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0091 : Digital copier; digital 'photocopier' H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 : of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 : Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 : Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

Wireless devices and methods employ steganography for a variety of purposes. An exemplary application is a battery-powered cell phone, having, e.g., a microphone, a speaker, a modulator, an antenna, and an RF amplifier. In such application, steganographic techniques can be employed to encode, or decode, signals processed by the phone. Some embodiments use an image sensor to capture watermarked image data. The phone can respond to detection of such marked imagery by overlaying distinctive graphics on a cell phone display screen. Such graphics may be positioned within the display, and affine-warped, in registered relationship with the position of the watermarked object, and its affine distortion, as depicted in the image data.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless telephone device including the acts:

processing audio information two different ways, for two different purposes;

the first way comprising processing the audio information to help generate a signal that drives an audio transducer associated with said device, so that a user can listen thereto;

the second way comprising processing the audio information by applying an algorithm thereto to derive plural-bit data therefrom, and controlling an aspect of the device'"'"'s operation based on said derived plural-bit data.

2. The method of claim 1, characterized by deriving said plural-bit data by reference to pseudo-random key information.

3. The method of claim 1, further characterized by filtering said audio information before deriving the plural-bit data.

4. The method of claim 1, further characterized by performing a mean-removal operation on said audio information before deriving the plural-bit data.

5. The method of claim 1 in which said deriving includes performing a matched filtering operation.

6. The method of claim 1 in which said deriving includes performing a correlation operation.

7. The method of claim 1 in which said deriving includes determining a correct alignment of the audio information before deriving the plural-bit data.

8. The method of claim 1 that includes receiving said audio information from a data channel on which it is sent in the form of packets.

9. The method of claim 1 in which the deriving includes decoding plural-bit data steganographically encoded in digital information wirelessly received by said device.

10. The method of claim 1 in which the deriving includes decoding plural-bit data steganographically encoded in digital audio information processed by said device.

11. A method for checking whether data transmitted in a telephone call has been altered, comprising:

receiving a telephone call;

extracting audio data from the telephone call; and

checking whether the telephone call has been altered by using a hardware processor to (a) extract auxiliary data embedded in the audio data and (b) check whether the extracted auxiliary data satisfies a predetermined relationship with data associated with the telephone call.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a 911 emergency call; and

recording the call;

wherein prior to said recording, the method includes using a hardware processor to steganographically encode the call with plural-bit hidden data so as to facilitate later authentication.

13. A wireless telephone device that includes a processor and a transducer, the processor being adapted to process audio information in two different ways, for two different purposes:

the first way processing the audio information to help generate a signal that drives the transducer so that a user can listen thereto,

the second way processing the audio information to derive plural-bit data,

the processor further being operative to control an aspect of the wireless telephone device'"'"'s operation based on the derived plural-bit data.

14. The device of claim 13 that further includes a microphone, a modulator, an antenna, and an RF amplifier.

15. The device of claim 13, in which said processing circuitry comprises a steganographic decoder operative to recover steganographically encoded data from audio information processed by said device.

16. A method of operating a wireless telephone device, the device processing digital samples representing audio information so that a user can listen thereto, characterized by applying an algorithm to said audio information to derive plural-bit data therefrom, and controlling an aspect of the device'"'"'s operation based on said plural-bit data;

characterized by deriving said plural-bit data by reference to pseudo-random key information.

17. A method of operating a wireless telephone device, the device processing digital samples representing audio information so that a user can listen thereto, characterized by applying an algorithm to said audio information to derive plural-bit data therefrom, and controlling an aspect of the device'"'"'s operation based on said plural-bit data;

characterized by filtering said audio information before deriving the plural-bit data.

18. A method of operating a wireless telephone device, the device processing digital samples representing audio information so that a user can listen thereto, characterized by applying an algorithm to said audio information to derive plural-bit data therefrom, and controlling an aspect of the device'"'"'s operation based on said plural-bit data;

characterized by performing a mean-removal operation on said audio information before deriving the plural-bit data.

19. A method of operating a wireless telephone device, the device processing digital samples representing audio information so that a user can listen thereto, characterized by applying an algorithm to said audio information to derive plural-bit data therefrom, and controlling an aspect of the device'"'"'s operation based on said plural-bit data;

wherein said deriving includes performing a matched filtering operation.

20. A method of operating a wireless telephone device, the device processing digital samples representing audio information so that a user can listen thereto, characterized by applying an algorithm to said audio information to derive plural-bit data therefrom, and controlling an aspect of the device'"'"'s operation based on said plural-bit data;

wherein said deriving includes performing a correlation operation.

21. A method of operating a wireless telephone device, the device processing digital samples representing audio information so that a user can listen thereto, characterized by applying an algorithm to said audio information to derive plural-bit data therefrom, and controlling an aspect of the device'"'"'s operation based on said plural-bit data;

wherein said deriving includes determining a correct alignment of the audio information before deriving the plural-bit data.